Reserve Untapped
by SilverEyedHyuugaSama
Summary: Years of battling Naraku have kindled Kagome's feeble reiki into a considerable force. Presently, she has taken up the task to train and maintain her power. Sesshoumaru cannot help but be intrigued by the blossoming of her gifts, and when their chance encounters are not so coincidental anymore, he begins to recognize her for the formidable priestess she has become. SessKag
1. Scent of Lightning

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. My characters, however, are my own.

Warning: Updates may be sporadic. I'm a slave to my schedule, honestly, but do understand that I love this pairing and this story, and I do want to see it through to completion.

Chapter 1: Scent of Lightning

She moved patiently, quietly, placing one bestockinged foot in front of the other in a calculated gesture, aware of every contraction of her muscles, every working of her joints. Kaede's hut, though a cozy and warm abode, was a minefield of creaky floorboards turned weathered and gnarled by years of rain and snow. A single misstep and Inuyasha's needle-sharp hearing would be alerted to her movements, an event that would no doubt lead to a confrontation and questions she preferred not to answer.

Kagome padded noiselessly around her bedding, drawing energy from the reiki that slept placidly inside of her soul. She reached out and smoothed pale hands over the pillow she had tucked underneath her blanket, silently infusing her pallet with her scent, her aura. Should Inuyasha or any other curious individuals, demonic or otherwise, approach the lump of bedding in the corner, they would catch wind of her presence and be satisfied with the assumption that she was sleeping. The last tendrils of her power wound around her pillow and settled into the down, and with a satisfied glance, she silently slipped through the door of the hut and out into the yawning woods before her. Inuyasha, she knew, was well settled on his customary tree branch a few paces east of the village, and so she turned her direction westward, slipping catlike through the tall, verdant grasses towards her destination.

Years of battling whatever nasty, maladjusted lumps of demon flesh Naraku had continuously showered upon Inuyasha's ragtag group (though to be fair, Kagome mused, some lumps of said demon flesh were actually quite beautiful….Byakuya, for example) did have its benefits. Her stamina, strength, and accuracy had unknowingly been honed to considerably decent levels. Of course it was true that Inuyasha had done most of the grunt work, but it didn't hurt—literally and metaphorically—when she found that she was able to dodge an attack aimed her way every once in a while with little effort. It was a lifestyle she had gradually grown accustomed to, constantly flirting with bloodlust, malice, and death on a near daily basis. She had been scared of it at first, had grown to tolerate it eventually, and had almost enjoyed it at times.

Now, years later, she was addicted to it.

It was one of the reasons why she chose to come back to Sengoku Jidai, to forsake her beloved family, her life as a would-be university student, and all the conveniences of modern living for this time, this era. In the future, she was just Kagome, a high-school graduate with average grades (still a considerable feat, admittedly, given the circumstances of studying whilst dodging all manner of claws, teeth, and poison), an average family, and an uncertain course for her life. Here, she was the Shikon Miko, important to her friends and adopted family. She had done it all herself, had endured the strain and fatigue and had risen above it all to morph from a hindrance to an asset in the battle against Naraku.

What pleased her even more than finding out she had holy powers was the fact that she had a knack for using them. She had first become aware of that fact when she had unknowingly lashed out at Kikyo during their first direct encounter, her powers nearly pulling Kikyo's soul out of her gravesoil body. She had thought it but a fluke, but after she'd nearly purified Naraku in the early stages of the game, she knew she couldn't ignore her talent any longer, and oh, did it feel so good to finally embrace it, to actively hone and perfect her control over her reiki. This was her calling, and if there was anything that motivated her, it was her desire to mould her power, and mould her power _well._

The telltale twist of the path snapped Kagome out of her thoughts and she slowed her loping stride to a trot as she entered the small clearing in the forest. It was perfect. A small pond rippled with the moon's lazy luminescence, and tall, wizened oaks lined the perimeter, their leaves rustling with a passing spring breeze. Smiling to herself, the miko sent a perfunctory tendril of reiki around the clearing to check for intruders. Finding none, she knelt and placed a small hand on the ground, tapping once more into the reserve of power that slept within her. At once, it stirred, and seeped through her fingertips to pour into the ground. A barrier smoothly formed around the entire clearing, a shield that would conceal her movements, her scent, her presence.

Kagome slowly stood, feeling the pulsing simmer of her reiki just under her skin. She was hyperaware of her senses, her holy power allowing her to feel the resonance of everything in the clearing, living or inanimate, as they interacted with each other. In a smooth motion, she whipped her bow from her back and nocked an arrow, pausing only for a fraction of a second to aim before sending it soaring towards an oak tree at the end of the clearing. It hit a knot dead centre before another arrow cleaved it in two almost immediately. Kagome whirled and sent another arrow towards a tree in the opposite direction, feeling the heady thrum of pride and adrenaline pumping through her veins. She had long been working on her aim, and the results were finally starting to show.

For hours she trained, alternating between archery and reiki, meticulously memorizing the limits of her power, the twists and pulls of her muscles and bones. It felt like heaven to release such bursts of unmitigated energy, knowing that the concealment barrier around the clearing would allow her to do so unnoticed. A grin spread its way across her face as her eyes sparkled with a secretive glee. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to pick his jaw up off the ground for weeks if he knew just what she was capable of, and the fact that he was completely oblivious made it all the more fun.

xXXx-xXXx

A faint thrum of power accosted his senses. It was not unusual, for he lived in a world with a plethora of youkai, each with their own reserve of power, but what piqued his curiosity was spicy scent of fresh lightning that accompanied it. Sesshoumaru stilled, nostrils flared, rolling the scent through his sinuses. It had come from the west, just near the border of his lands, and seeing as though his routine patrol had to take him in that direction, he decided to investigate.

Iron control clamped down upon his own youki, masking the presence of the daiyoukai. Sesshoumaru moved swiftly westward, nose working to catch the faint slivers of this foreign presence. It was erratic, pulsing in brief, infrequent bursts, but the more he traveled towards it, the clearer it became. He was close now, nearly upon it, and as he rounded a corner, its next pulsation nearly overwhelmed his nose with the crackling smell of sweet musk and electricity. There, in the middle of a clearing just beyond him, was his brother's wench, an arrow nocked in the string of her bow.

She released it with a sharp flick of her fingers. The arrow buried itself in the centre of a makeshift target she had placed against a tree. He watched as her power burst from its tip and surged against the containment barrier she had erected around the clearing. It was, he acknowledged after a moment's hesitation, a fairly well crafted barrier, though it was not without imperfection, for there was a small area of weakness a few paces from where he stood, and it was through this area that the scent of lightning escaped whenever her power streaked across its surface.

He leapt high into the tree he was leaning against as she slung her bow over her shoulder, watching her shoulders sag with a breath of relief. The shield around the clearing flickered once, then disappeared, leaving no trace of its earlier presence. With a sigh, the miko gathered up her belongings and turned to leave the grove. Sesshoumaru watched her plod past his perch. It seemed the girl had more mettle than he had given her credit for, although her powers and skill were still slightly rough around the edg—

An arrow bit into the tree trunk not five inches from his head and it took all of his centuries of hard-earned self-control to keep his youki from flaring in response.

"Who's there?" She snapped, another arrow poised on the string of her bow.

Kagome was _sure_ she had felt a presence watching as she left her training grounds. She kept her arrow trained on the area of suspicion, but when nothing attacked after a long, pregnant pause, she decided the glitch in her senses was probably due to her exhaustive training and lowered her bow, turning to make her way back towards the village. A good, long sleep was well overdue, and she didn't want to waste more time dawdling about.

He remained in the tree long after she had gone. She had managed to surprise him. She had _actually_ managed to surprise _him._ Had her arrow been properly aimed, it would have succeeded in scratching him in the very least, and judging by the last vestiges of power he felt as he dragged a claw across its smooth wooden shaft, still embedded in the tree, he suspected its purification potential would have caused him a great deal of pain. Sesshoumaru's lip curled in the ghost of a growl. The woman was more dangerous than he had thought. He was the Lord of the West, a daiyoukai no less, and the fact that she was able to sense him when he was at his stealthiest meant that either he was growing careless (and Sesshoumaru was _never_ careless) or she had much more potential than he had judged.

Sesshoumaru sprang from the tree, making his way towards a cave he knew was carved into a mountain not far from the village. The rest of his patrol could wait; he would seek respite for the evening in the mountain, and would pay his half-brother a visit in the morning to ascertain for himself exactly what Inuyasha's wench was capable of.

xXXx-xXXx

The next morning saw only a brief moment of peace before a visitor appeared in the village. Kagome was in the middle of a brewing a poultice for one of Kaede's patients, and had just added the necessary sprig of thyme to the concoction when a signature flare of youki assailed her senses. She rose and poked her head outside the door just in time to see Inuyasha's elder brother land meters from her hut in a swirl of silver hair and billowing silk. She slipped out the door and went to approach him, vaguely aware of the pressure of his power in the atmosphere.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama," she greeted him cordially. "Are you looking for Rin? She went off to gather flowers a not too long ago and hasn't returned."

Golden eyes slanted an unreadable glance at the miko before him. She smelled nothing of the spiced lightning he had experienced the night before, though her scent was still clear and strangely sweet. Tangerines and honeysuckle, not an altogether unpleasing combination.

Before he could get a word out in response, a holler cleaved the air and Inuyasha appeared in a flash of red, a white-knuckled fist clasping the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "What in the seven hells are _you_ doing here? If it's a fight you're looking for—"

"It is," Sesshoumaru intoned, and pressed forward before Inuyasha had time to activate the Fang. "But not with you."

He could almost feel the tang of the miko's shock and confusion as her blue eyes met his amber ones. "You will face this Sesshoumaru, woman. Here, and now."

There was a near-audible clunk as Inuyasha's jaw hit the ground. Kagome sputtered incoherent syllables as she reeled backwards. "M-me? You…..you want to battle….but this is….I don't—"

"Your considerable lack of comprehension is most unbecoming." Sesshoumaru replied, and a sizzle of irritation marred her scent. "This one shall not repeat himself again. Take up your weapon, and come."

"What do you want with Kagome? Leave her out of this!" Inuyasha bellowed, but Sesshoumaru had already turned away and was walking towards a meadow some paces from the centre of the village.

Dazed and way-the-hell confused, Kagome numbly gathered up her quiver and bow and started walking towards the daiyoukai, a million questions racing through her mind. _Does he want to kill me? He sounded like he only wants to spar with me, but I can never tell, he's so unreadable. Why does he want to fight with me, and not Inuyasha? And why today? Surely he didn't come all the way from the Western Lands to specifically fight me?_

"You try my patience, miko. Approach." The deep baritone of the demon's voice cut through her thoughts.

Her power was a knot of hesitation and insecurity, flickering around her in erratic bursts of blue. The miko's scent was heavily laden with doubt and confusion as she cautiously approached him, clutching her bow like a lifeline. No matter, he thought as his lips parted into a snarl that bared razor-sharp fangs. She would be forced to use her full potential soon. She did not have the speed of a demon to be sure, so he was careful to purposely slow his stride as he streaked towards her, claws outstretched. This was not a battle of agility. This was a test of her power.

For a split second, Kagome's panicked mind rendered the rest of her body stock-still and rigid as Sesshoumaru attacked, and then her reflexes kicked in and she twisted her body to the side, barely managing to avoid the deadly path of his claws. He turned sharply on the ball of one foot and executed a swift downward blow; she was forced to counter it with the end of her bow, which sent jarring vibrations through the very marrow of her forearm. He was already behind her, the pressure of his youki nearly cutting off her air supply, and without thinking, she let loose her tenuous control over her reiki, hearing an audible crackle in the air as her power met his.

Good. She had tapped into her reserves, and was manipulating her reiki at will. He pressed more youki against her even as he ducked underneath her undulating swipe and spun quickly away. She had put her confusion behind her and was focusing solely on her enemy, on him and the promise of death that coated his claws. Still, there was not much time before her human limitations would force her to reroute her reiki to boost her stamina instead of focusing on keeping his youki at bay. If he wanted to determine her real potential, he would have to act fast. Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat and relinquished control over his youki entirely. It swelled from his being in a surge of demonic power and washed over the miko before she had time to react, enveloping her completely in an ocean of pressure.

Kagome choked as her skin sizzled with harsh, foreign energy. This was Sesshoumaru, this was the power of the Lord of the West, and it was searing, so _hot. _A strangled yelp burst from her lips as she sank to her knees, panic momentarily overtaking her mind. _I have to stop this before it kills me, I have to make it stop, make it stop MAKE IT STOP—_

Reiki burst from her, coiling around her body like a protective shell. The pungent smell of scorched ozone permeated the air as holy power raged against demonic energy. That her body had not been instantly consumed by the full force of his power was impressive. The miko was indeed strong, of that he was sure. Her power was raw and unrefined, but there was no denying its overwhelming abundance, and if channeled properly, it had potential to become a truly formidable force. He had seen enough; with a rumble in his throat, the daiyoukai clamped down on his youki, sensing the pulsing waves of the miko's reiki retreat into her body as well.

Relief surged through her body as the agonizing pressure in the air suddenly dissipated. Kagome slowly looked up, not quite comprehending the unsettling serenity of her surroundings. _That's it? It's over? I'm…..not dead?_ She got to her feet, wobbling a little on trembling legs, and turned bewildered blue eyes to the daiyoukai before her.

"What….I don't understand…."

Sesshoumaru continued to grace her with a wordless stare, noting the tremors of her body, wrought with fatigue and shock. It was to be expected; she had just experienced and actually survived direct contact with the entirety of his youki, a feat that few had managed to pull off. Satisfied with the results of his assessment, the daiyoukai turned and flew into the air, heading back towards his lands. A reserve untapped was that miko. With training and focus, she would be unstoppable.

xXXx-xXXx

Kagome collapsed against the wall of her hut, shaking with stress and strain. The unexpected battle had cost her much strength. The room slowly spun around her as she struggled to take deep, calming breaths, and she was only dimly aware of Shippo's concerned murmurings and the coolness of Kaede's hands upon her forehead. She was thoroughly baffled by the sudden appearance and challenge of the Western Lord, but found she was too tired to attempt any sort of logical reasoning behind his actions. Reaching for Shippo's proffered paw, she pulled the warm kitsune to her and slipped off the edge of the world into a dreamless sleep.

xXXx-xXXx


	2. Her Sacrifice

:D Thank you to all of my kind reviewers so far! You motivate me more than you know. :D Also, special thanks to LoveandFaith/LoveInTheBattleField for finding me and following this story ^_^

Chapter Two: Her Sacrifice

It had been three weeks since her encounter with the daiyoukai, since she had faced him in the meadow. Sesshoumaru had not made a repeat appearance, and though Kagome still mused about his mysterious challenge, they were idle thoughts, having been pushed to the back of her mind after such a long time without answers. Though the steady stream of herbal knowledge she received from Kaede was enough to provide her with ample hands-on activities and other distractions, it didn't quite slake her restlessness. The village was too peaceful, the atmosphere too tranquil. Kagome's full mouth twisted into a wry smile as she thought back to the days when she would have given anything for a break from the constant battles and shard-hunting. Perhaps she was a glutton for punishment, but sometimes she almost wished a new enemy would appear so she could feel the thrill of the challenge again—

"Rin! It took Rin! Rin's gone, help, Kagome, Inuyasha, come quickly!" Shippo's shrill cry pierced through her thoughts. She whirled and gasped as she took in the sight of the kitsune limping awkwardly towards her hut, blood streaming from a gash in his leg.

Kagome swept down and scooped up the fox, hurriedly tearing away his hakama to reveal the wound. A ghastly green substance oozed from a gash that ran from knee to ankle; youkai, from the look of it, and a powerful one at that.

Shippo choked back a pained yelp as Kagome wiped away dirt and debris that coated the mouth of the gash. "It came so quickly. Rin was just playing with one of my magic acorns in the meadow when the demon attacked. I tried to protect her, but—"

"Shhh. It's okay. Rin will be fine. We'll bring her back, don't worry." Kagome soothed, and whisked Shippo into the hut, quickly grabbing a handful of leaves from a shelf.

"Chew these into a paste and apply liberally. They'll taste bitter and the poultice will sting, but I promise you'll be fine." Kagome snatched her bow from its rack on the wall and slung her quiver over her shoulder. "I'll be back soon, don't worry!"

_Be careful what you wish for,_ she thought ironically, and burst out of the hut just in time to intercept Inuyasha.

"It's a moth youkai, I'm damn sure." The hanyou gritted out as he hoisted her onto his back and took off without missing a beat. "I could smell it all over the runt. Hang on tight. I'm going to speed up—those fucking things are _fast."_

Kagome clung to his haori and buried her face into his long, white hair. She could dimly feel the bumps and twists in the path as Inuyasha sprinted through the forest, pushing himself to catch up with Rin's kidnapper. All of a sudden, he ground to a halt, growling low in his throat as he tilted his head towards the sky. A large, black shadow was circling overhead, and it was only after Kagome squinted to filter out the sun that she could make out the small, squirming silhouette of a girl ensnared in the moth's bristled legs.

"Rin!" Kagome called as she slid off of Inuyasha's back. "Don't panic! We'll get you down!"

The hanyou had already leapt into the air, claws outstretched and throbbing with the desire to rip apart youkai flesh. Tetsusaiga was useless; it was a huge sword, and Rin was a delicate child, not fit to survive the Wind Scar or any of the Fang's other abilities. Inuyasha twisted and swiped at the demon, but it was too quick, flitting just out of his reach, iridescent eyes and pincer jaw clicking in malicious mirth. Its wings beat the air and he felt himself falling, propelled backwards by the gust of wind it flung at his body. Callused feet found brief respite on the branch of a tree before Inuyasha lunged again, a stream of invective bursting from his mouth as he launched attack after attack at the nimble demon.

Kagome had an arrow nocked and drawn, watching for an opening. The moth had a pattern, it seemed. She was beginning to see it, beginning to predict how and where it would dodge. _Come on, Inuyasha, _she urged silently. _Keep it moving. I just need a little more time, just a little more—_

_THERE._

She loosed the arrow without hesitation.

The bowstring recoiled with a snap. The arrow screeched through the air, straight at the undulating wings of the unsuspecting youkai. It easily dodged the missive with a shriek, but Inuyasha was already there, already behind it, already waiting for an opening, and with a triumphant howl, he latched onto its right wing and hung on for dear life, steeled claws rending holes in the delicate film.

The moth's three other wings flapped furiously, trying to stabilize the frankenstinian conglomeration of airborne bodies. Between the struggling hanyou on its back and the human child trapped in its legs, being airborne was a task, but it wasn't going to give up without a fight, and strained to keep afloat, shrieking and keening and spewing acid from its yawning maw.

Kagome paced below them, gnawing on her lip in despair. Inuyasha was too light to weigh down the demon. The tears he had made in its wing were already beginning to heal, and it seemed determined to keep the battle in the air, where it would have a distinct advantage. She couldn't fire another arrow for fear of accidentally hitting Rin amidst the squirming, floating mess of bodies, but she needed to find a way to get them down, take them down, bring them down….

_Down._

Inuyasha seemed to catch on as soon as she did. Golden eyes locked onto blue ones as the realization hit him.

"WENCH, DON'T YOU DARE—"

"INUYASHA! **_SIT!"_**

And they dropped like a stone.

Despite the strangulating pull of the subjugation beads around his neck, Inuyasha managed to hoist himself over and on top of the shrieking moth, cursing as the demon's acid seared his skin. He stretched out his arm until his shoulder groaned in pain, blindly reaching for Rin, but the ground was fast approaching and they smashed into the dirt with a colossal impact that sent tremors resonating through the forest and a geyser of debris into the air. Already Inuyasha was wrestling with the frenzied youkai, fangs ripping through flesh and claws tearing through legs as he struggled to free Rin from its grip.

Kagome rushed toward the site of collision, pumping her legs as fast as they would go. Her reiki burned and sizzled beneath her fingertips, itching to purify the offending moth. Suddenly something silver streaked by her face; a flash of fur and steel crossed her vision, and out of nowhere, Sesshoumaru shot past her like a stream of mercury, Bakusaiga grasped in his hand. Shock and a million questions coursed through her mind, but she ignored them, figuring he was present because Rin was in trouble, and pursued the daiyoukai with renewed fervor, determined to help.

She burst into the clearing few moments after he did, but Sesshoumaru was already moving, his sword cleaving through the moth's wing like a warm knife through butter. The demon screamed in pain and thrashed wildly; with a snarl, Inuyasha ripped off the last of its legs and buried his arm up to the elbow into its chest with a deafening crackle, punching through layers of exoskeleton and viscera.

"Grab Rin!" The hanyou howled to Kagome over the demon's shrieks of pain.

Kagome darted in quickly, aware of Rin's terrified wails as the child fell from the moth. She stretched out her hand, reaching, searching; small, clammy fingers clamped down over her own and she tugged with all her might, drawing Rin safely into her arms.

"Shhhh, I've got you, it's all right," she soothed as she hurriedly backtracked.

The persistent moth, desperate and enraged at its imminent defeat, gave a final cry of fury and opened its maw. Both the Inu brothers whirled and dealt their death blows at once, but they were a split second slow, and a sickly green acid sprayed from the jaws of the moth as Sesshoumaru beheaded it and Inuyasha tore out its heart.

The poison flew. Too late, Kagome turned, too late, she tried to dodge, tried to call her reiki to meet it and purify it before it seared her and the child she protected. The priestess threw her arms around Rin and hugged her with all her might, wrapping reiki around the small girl to prevent her from harm, even as a blinding, burning pain shot throughout her body to explode at the crown of her head like a thousand stings from Naraku's wasps. She could smell the corrosion of her skin as the acid rained down upon her, feel the poison start to eat away at her limbs, and it was so painful, it was so _goddamn painful_, and she screamed, she screamed, she

_OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS OH KAMI IT HURTS SO BADLY IT HUUURRTTTSS_

felt her energy fluctuate wildly as her body fought against the evil that was trying to rot her away

_make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop _

felt her holy power try to knit her burnt, seared skin, but it was too wild, too uncontrollable, and she didn't know what to do, _she didn't know what to do_—

A fresh wave of merciless pain jolted through her body, ripping apart her nerves as she felt her body being lifted. Voices, harsh and desperate, flitted across her hearing. Everything was muzzy and muffled; large, dark spots swam across her vision, and then all went black and she knew no more.

xXXx-xXXx

He stood by, Bakusaiga dripping with youkai blood, as his half-brother flew to the downed priestess. Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha scooped her up and called to her frantically, watched her hair fall across her face as her head lolled to the side, her power struggling and roiling, trying to heal her, trying to fix what had been damaged. A dispassionate scowl smoothed across the corners of his lips. That fool of a miko. She should have been quicker, should have dodged sooner, should have—

_Should have what? Not cared about the sake of the child she protected? Not cared about his ward? His Rin?_

His thoughts brought him pause. She had protected Rin. He smelled her reiki all over the child, even as she ran to him and buried her face in his leg, clinging to it tightly and wailing worries about "that lovely Kagome-san". She had used her power and her body as a shield and sacrificed herself so that Rin would be safe.

Against his better judgement, something stirred within him.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama! Save her. Help Kagome-san, please, she was so brave." Rin pleaded, tugging on the bottom of his sleeve.

He was walking towards Inuyasha before he had time to quite realize it. His half-brother felt his presence and turned, hackles raised, clutching the limp miko In his arms. "I don't have time to deal with you right now," the hanyou growled, his voice strained with worry. "So if it's a fight you're looking for, you leave me the fuck alone, I've got to get her to the village."

Irritation flickered across Sesshoumaru's countenance. "Your feeble village will do nothing for her. Poison coats the miko," he intoned, and lifted a hand, claws dripping with dokkasou. "And this one's knowledge of poisons is vast."

Inuyasha started, and drew Kagome closer to his chest. "What do you think you're doing—"

"Move aside."

A razor-sharp claw flashed across his brother's arm and wiped up a drop of acid that still lingered on the miko's skin. Sesshoumaru held up the claw to inspect the poison, searching with his youki and feeling the specific demonic signature inside the corrosive properties of the liquid. Winged brows knitted together in a scowl. No, it would be impossible for that human village to carry the means for healing the woman. Certainly she was incapable of healing herself, for her body was fighting to survive, her reiki preoccupied with maintaining equilibrium. That meant the only other option to ensure her continued existence was….

Sesshoumaru stilled. It was unthinkable, unheard of. The only other human barring Rin to set foot inside the Palace of the West had been Izayoi, and even then, her presence had caused all manner of unrest, what with the Inu no Taisho receiving daily challenges for the validity of his new human woman and mutinous mutterings from his court and retainers. He did not have time to entertain such useless and unnecessary circumstances, all for the sake of one weak, human priestess.

_Oh, but she was not a weak human priestess, was she? She had power. She had potential. He had come all the way to her village so he could specifically test that power. That potential. Her._

It was a choice that greatly displeased and inconvenienced him, but it was the right choice.

"This one shall take her to the Palace of the West," the daiyoukai spoke after a long silence. "The youkai healers there will have the proper remedies for her condition."

"You're not going to leave without me." Inuyasha snapped, holding Kagome closer to his chest. "You'll probably let her get eaten if I'm not there. And don't argue, goddammit. I'm coming whether you like it or not."

Sesshoumaru swallowed back the snarl of irritation that threatened to arise. The miko's life was slipping further and further out of reach with each passing second, and any arguments with his brother would be wasting precious time. Without waiting, he summoned a cloud of youki beneath his feet, scooping Rin into his arms. Inuyasha stepped gingerly onto the foreign substance, and no sooner had he secured his hold on Kagome than they were off, flying towards the West in an orb of golden light.

xXXx-xXXx


	3. More Than One Kind of Curiosity

First and foremost, I must extend great and heartfelt thanks to all of my reviewers. You guys really give me faith in my own writing abilities, honestly. Keeping everyone in-character is the most difficult task for me to do, and the encouragement I've received from everyone on that very topic really keeps me going. *bows* very very grateful, is this author...

Chapter 3: More Than One Kind of Curiosity

"Give the woman to me," Sesshoumaru's tone left no room for argument.

Inuyasha, acknowledging that his brother's intentions were sincere, reluctantly relinquished his hold on Kagome's body. Sesshoumaru gathered the miko into his arms and strode down a long corridor that led to two ornate, mahogany doors, their gilded handles bound by a strange chain. The daiyoukai passed a hand over the barrier, youki pulsing from his fingertips; the bond fell away and the doors slowly opened, revealing a cavernous alcove that flickered with a warm, golden glow, lit by hundreds of miniature candles. In the very centre was a gigantic fountain, bubbling and gurgling with cream-coloured liquid that caught and reflected the light of the flames. Shelves upon shelves of herbs and medicines lined the perimeter of the walls; youkai of all kind and colours flitted about, mixing, stirring, sampling, testing. As their lord approached, they turned and bowed, and if any demon had expressed surprise at the sight of Sesshoumaru carrying a oddly-garbed human woman in his arms, it was quickly repressed, for Sesshoumaru's youki had already permeated the room, repressive and dominant, making it clear that any unwarranted questions would not be tolerated.

She was so light in his arms. Light and frail and weak; how she had managed to survive against so many years of unceasing demonic attacks was truly a miracle. He could easily snap her throat like a toothpick right this moment, if he so desired….and yet, there was muscle beneath her skin, strength in her shoulders, a distinct definition and suppleness to her limbs. For a moment, Sesshoumaru let his youki penetrate into her reserves of power, just a brief, passing inquiry. Topaz eyes widened imperceptibly; while most of it was being steadily expended to stabilize the miko's ravaged body, there was still a vast reservoir of it inside of her, an astounding well of power that came close to rivaling his own.

Not a miracle after all, he thought. She had survived Naraku's assault after all these years for a reason.

Uncharacteristic curiosity lingered in his veins. He shifted his grip on her and probed deeper, analyzing her power. It seemed she only knew how to access a little less than a tenth of it; most of the raw, coiled reiki he sensed within her was crammed into that reservoir, untouched, pristine. For a human could possess so much power….he needed to be wary of her. Experience had long since taught him that humans, or any creature who wielded immense amounts of power almost always succumbed to corruption or greed.

The miko's head swayed to the side in his arms. Jet-black hair fell away from her smooth, white neck, fanning across his wrist. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru shifted his grip and ran the point of a lethal claw across her throat. A small trickle of crimson beaded and welled at the mouth of the scratch, and the iron scent of her blood flitted across his senses.

_Disgustingly fragile. And yet this body houses such power._

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" A tall inu-youkai approached, clothed in a deep blue haori. "May I assist you in any way?"

Sesshoumaru, startled out of his thoughts, resisted the urge to growl as he held out the miko's limp body to the demon. "This miko has been seared by the acids of a moth youkai. Heal her, and ask no questions."

The latter statement was shot through with steel, and the demon understood. With a low bow, he accepted the woman and strode swiftly to the fountain, his claws already rending what little clothing had not been melted away by acid. Sesshoumaru turned to go, and the last vision he saw of the miko was the swell of one bare shoulder and the alabaster curve of her arm, twisted and disfigured by poison, dangling lifelessly by her side as the healer submerged her body in the cleansing waters.

xXXx-xXXx

Kagome awoke, feeling an odd sense of disconnect from her surroundings and her senses. Finding she could move her fingers, she rubbed her eyes to clear the muzziness from her head, and that's when she noticed it.

_My hands….they're healed?_

Cerulean eyes widened in pleasant surprise as she held up her arms for inspection. Gone was the charred skin, the corroded flesh. There weren't even any bandages; instead, smooth, healthy skin sheathed her forearms and hands, which were whole and supple, and, she discovered upon giving each of her fingers a nervous wiggle, completely functional. Kagome grinned and resisted the urge to squeal with glee. She was alive! She was all better! She was—

"Oh, Kami." She gasped as the reality of her surroundings fully sank in.

She was sitting—no, floating, really, was the word, since everything felt so light and _comfortable—_in the largest bed she had ever seen. Intricate Japanese screens decorated the room; the shelves, drawers, and small table in the corner all looked like they had been carved from rosewood and cedar. Sunlight streamed in through the windows of a beautiful set of mahogany double-doors that were slightly ajar, and through the crack, she could see the alabaster railings of the balcony outside.

It was beautiful. It was exquisite. It was immensely confusing.

The feeling of silk on her skin made her look down at her garments. She was wearing a simple white yukata with what looked like small, indigo irises embroidered on the shoulders and sleeves. A quick assessment of the rest of her body confirmed that she was fully healed, and when she reached inside to check her reiki, she found that it was much calmer, and had a smoother, almost liquid feeling to it when she attempted summoning a smidgen into her fingertips. Stunned, and a little bit in awe, Kagome let a drop of her power form in the middle of her palm, and was just beginning to enjoy the sensation of simmering reiki when the door to her room opened with a click. She hurriedly extinguished the ball of energy and tucked her hands under her sheets.

A light pressure that was his signature presence washed over her, and Sesshoumaru glided into view, his cold, topaz eyes hooded, betraying nothing. Kagome respectfully quelled the tsunami of questions that threatened to burst from her mouth. Sesshoumaru, from what she could garner, was an immensely patient youkai, and she was sure he would soon answer her questions. Whatever he didn't answer, she mused wryly to herself, with a little brownnosing here and there, she would find the answers to anyway.

He was impressed by her control. What her face vaguely betrayed, her scent practically screamed: anticipation, confusion, wonder, and curiosity, all wrapped up in a layer of nervousness. She had questions, did this miko, and yet unlike Rin, with her perpetual candor, she held them back, and simply settled for waiting. He took in the sight of her sleep-rumpled hair, shining almost mischievously in the sunlight, the healthy glow of her pristine skin, the restless fidgeting of her hands. Despite her body's nervous display, there was nothing of it in her large, luminous eyes, eyes that continued to stare at him with unabashed expectancy.

_Blue. How curious a colour, unusual for a human._

"You have been healed." His honey-smooth baritone washed over her unexpectedly and she couldn't help a twitch of surprise.

"Yes I have," she ventured cautiously after a moment's hesitation. "I'm…back to normal, pretty much."

Sesshoumaru did not respond. Feeling a little bold, Kagome pressed on, deciding a question or two couldn't hurt.

"Where are we?"

"You currently sojourn at the Palace of the West." Sesshoumaru replied. "As for your condition," he pressed on as Kagome opened her mouth, another question poised on the tip of her tongue. "My healer has eliminated all wounds and lacerations, rendering you, once more, whole."

Kagome chewed on her lip, processing the information. "Would it be too forward….could I ask you to thank him for me?" She asked timidly.

The ice of his impassive gaze made her shiver. He scrutinized her silently for a moment, and just as she started to fidget, he turned away. "This one will see to it that the message is relayed."

A silence stretched between them. Sesshoumaru was turned away from her, his gaze distant, staring out beyond the precipice of the balcony through the crack in the doors. Kagome took the opportunity to slant a glance at the daiyoukai. There was an ethereal quality to him that was almost destructively gorgeous. She surmised that if she stared at him for too long, it would be like staring into the sun: blinding, and painful.

"What will you do with me now that I'm…well…better?" Kagome asked, shifting a little under the sheets.

It was a question the answer to which even he did not know. The miko was in perfect health, and therefore free of obligation toward him—and likewise, he of her—but there was something oddly distasteful about the notion of returning her to her village quite so soon. Sesshoumaru construed it would cast a feeling of flippancy over the entire series of circumstances; after all, it was not often that visitors disturbed the Palace of the West.

Her power, too. If he detained her for longer, perhaps he could further assess the breadth and magnitude of her power.

Rin chose that moment to burst through the doors of the bedroom, tiny hands clutching the largest persimmon Kagome had ever seen. Seeing that the priestess was awake, Rin's face split apart into a toothy smile, and she clambered up onto the bed, thrusting the fruit into Kagome's hands.

"Good morning, Kagome-san! Rin is glad you're awake! Rin went down to the gardens and—"

The child's voice trailed off as Sesshoumaru shot her a disapproving glare. Her smile flickered a little, then switched back on with intense concentration.

"I mean….._I_….went down to the gardens to pick you a persimmon." Rin enunciated carefully, correcting her mistake. Sesshoumaru turned his gaze away, and the girl took that as permission to continue. "And it was the biggest and the BEST persimmon! I thought you deserved it because you were so brave when you protected Ri—me the other day."

Kagome giggled, thoroughly amused. There was something so endearing about seeing Sesshoumaru, feared and respected Lord of the West, being mindful of his ward's faulty grammar. Ironic, too, she thought with a whimsical smirk, since the daiyoukai seemed to have the same habit of referring to himself in third person. Rin's overzealous effort to correct herself was just too sweet, and watching the two interact brought a trickle of joy to her that warmed her insides as much as the morning sun warmed her skin.

"Inuyasha-san isn't here right now," Rin continued to blithely deliver her report. "He went to hunt you something for breakfast, I think. In the meantime, would you like to see the rest of the castle? It's _reaaaalllyyy biiiig._"

Amused, Kagome ruffled the girl's soft, brown hair. "That's a lovely thought, Rin, but I'm sure Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't appreciate strangers poking unwanted noses into all the corners of his palace."

Had she obliged the child's request, his opinion of her would not have changed. The fact that she was considerate of his territory and privacy made him think twice about her character, and Sesshoumaru found it slightly unnerving that she was constantly surprising him with her meticulous manners and tact. She was not meek, like most human women he had encountered. There was steel behind her actions, confidence behind her words, but she was careful of both, mindful of his culture and breed.

Perhaps he had been wrong in his judgement of her, a thought that brought him a twinge of ire, because he, Sesshoumaru, was rarely wrong.

"You are permitted to explore the gardens, and select rooms in the north wing of the castle." He said, trying not to be too preoccupied by the scent of tangerines and honeysuckle that wafted through the room, testament to the miko's surge of happiness at his words. "A summons shall be sent for you when the half-breed returns from his hunt."

Kagome slipped off of her mattress and took Rin's hand, extending her head in a bow. "My thanks, Sesshoumaru-sama. We will be careful not to disturb any palace activities." She promised, lightly leading the child from the chamber.

Sesshoumaru remained in the room long after they had left. Rarely had he ever ruminated so extensively about a single circumstance, or individual. The miko was walking conglomeration of contradictions and mysteries. Her strange clothing was so completely inappropriate, yet he could smell her purity, her innocence. Her accent was foreign, yet cultured and pleasing to the ear in a way so refined and different from even the lower youkai of his court. She was soft yet strong, mouthy yet reserved, irritating yet—

_Yet what?_

She had piqued his curiosity; that he could acknowledge. Certainly her reiki, and her cultivation and steady refinement thereof had earned his attention.

_Enough. She was nothing else, _he concluded decisively. She was unusual. So were a lot of other anomalies the world had to offer. There was nothing unique about her uniqueness. She was just another phenomenon, just another being—odd, and out of place, in character, in disposition, in power.

It frustrated him nearly to the point of anger that she was constantly the subject of his thoughts, but somehow, he could not bring himself to erase her from his mind.

xXXx-xXXx

The deer on his shoulder was a satisfying weight. Callused feet drummed the ground in a steady lope as Inuyasha made his way through the forest back to the palace, the thrill of the recent hunt still fresh in his veins. The hearty venison, brimming with nourishment and energy, would be good for Kagome, still weak from her treatment. Hopefully, her recovery would be swift, and then they could return to the village, away from the foreign walls of the palace, away from the detestable presence of his half-brother.

He smelled it, then. It was very faint, but it was there, and through its rich, iron tang leaked a coating of desperation and death. Inuyasha halted in his tracks, his white head turning to catch another whiff of the trail. It was the scent of a youkai, and it was close.

The hanyou darted through the trees, sniffing as he went. He began to notice spatters of blood upon the ground, dark and viscous. As he followed them, they grew redder and fresher until finally he rounded a corner and nearly stepped in a pool of crimson. A demon was slumped in the middle of it, gasping and wheezing, its body broken and torn. Its vivid, green eyes swiveled frantically; as they alighted upon Inuyasha, the demon twisted, groaning, and reached out a clawed, broken arm to the stunned hanyou.

"Please…." It rasped, the plea more an expulsion of air than a word. "Please…..the palace….hurry…."

Without a word, Inuyasha closed his hand around the offered arm, slinging it over his shoulder and bracing his legs as the demon slumped against his side. Fangs gritted, the hanyou strained to carry both the deer and the demon towards the outline of the palace in the distance. The youkai was fading fast, and Inuyasha had a feeling it had important information to relay.

xXXx-xXXx


	4. New Threats and New Beginnings

I apologize for the late update! Goodness gracious, these past weeks have been BUSY. Aiya. I really am a slave to my schedule, but I do enjoy writing this, so you have my word that I shall see this story through.

Chapter 4: New Threats and New Beginnings

There was a commotion in the courtyard. The sound of urgent voices and running steps filtered through his hearing. Sesshoumaru wasted no time, striding swiftly through the hallways of the castle to the site of the din. From the smell of it, his half-brother had returned, bearing with him more than just the kill from his hunt.

Youkai parted before him as Sesshoumaru approached Inuyasha. The right side of the hanyou's bright-red haori had been stained a dark brown from the blood that had seeped through the fabric. Inuyasha struggled to hold up the remains of the demon in his arms, the armor of which was hauntingly familiar.

"My….lord…." the demon raised its mangled head, and Sesshoumaru recognized the viridian eyes of the youkai before him. Hoshizaku was one of the younger members of his guard, barely trained before sent into duty. His disappearance was blamed on his oft-wayward behaviour, and the guards had quickly forgotten his absence in the ranks.

"Take him to the healing chambers, quickly!" Sesshoumaru barked, and two sentinels rushed forward.

Hoshizaku struggled and parted his lips, baring shattered fangs in a limp semblance of a warning. "No…." he whispered, his broken voice a gurgle through the blood in his throat. "No….it is too late for me. My lord….you need to know…."

The courtyard stilled, hushed, waiting for the dying youkai's report.

"Half-breeds…." Pain congealed the forced words into a breathless wheeze. "Humans who have….injected into….themselves….the flesh and blood…..of youkai."

He did not know what exactly it was that coursed through his veins. A nameless feeling, a white-hot, needle-sharp emotion penetrated deep into his bones, and Sesshoumaru could not quell the growl that resonated within the deepest parts of his throat.

Inuyasha shivered. He had clashed swords with his brother before, seen his brother unleash his fury during his moments of rage, but it had only been twice that he had ever heard Sesshoumaru utter that kind of chilling, soul-freezing snarl, and both times it convinced him that perhaps the battles with his brother were really just bouts of sparring, and that if Sesshoumaru had ever truly wanted to kill him, he would have been dead before he'd been able to blink.

"They….are….strong." Hoshizaku's voice cut through the murkiness of the hanyou's thoughts. "They….are….many."

The light was fading quickly from the demon's countenance. He drew another breath, a deep one, a full one, knowing it was his last, a sudden clarity in his emerald irises. "They come from the South. They hunger for power, for dominion over all lands."

Claws slid from the curve of Inuyasha's shoulder, and Hoshizaku fell to the ground. His eyes slipped closed, his lips forming soundless words that Sesshoumaru saw rather than heard.

"My lord…."

The fluttering rise and fall of his chest faltered once, and then ceased.

The wind that brushed through his hair brought with it the sweeping descent of solemnity. Sesshoumaru gazed at the lifeless body of the youkai before him, a torrent of thoughts swirling through his mind. The Western Army was well renowned for its strength, and despite his youth and lack of training, the fallen demon had indeed been a part of it. That he would return in such a state, so thoroughly broken and tattered proved indeed that there was a force unknown with malicious intentions, and that it was strong enough to cause alarm. As a lord and leader, Sesshoumaru was not so arrogant as to flippantly dismiss a potential threat to his army when one posed a real danger.

"Light a pyre for the fallen one, and await further instructions." The daiyoukai directed the command toward the head general, who bowed and moved toward Hoshizaku's supine form.

It was then that Sesshoumaru caught sight of the miko, standing just beyond the doors to the castle.

Kagome caught his gaze and held it steady, a grave expression on her countenance. The daiyoukai drew level with her and stopped, his stare impassive, yielding nothing. They continued to look at one another, each betraying nothing, until Kagome broke the silence.

"What are you going to do?" She asked softly.

There was something about the way she asked him in her solemn, quiet manner that prompted him to indulge her with an answer. "Further ruminations are in order. As of yet, the lack of information regarding the matter is too great to inspire any immediate actions." With that, Sesshoumaru brushed past her, and made to stride into the castle.

Why she did what she did next was something she could never explain. Acting entirely upon an impulse, Kagome whirled, her fingers catching the demon's silken sleeve.

"Wait."

A seeping paralysis arrested her limbs as Sesshoumaru turned and slanted her a glare that singlehandedly held the combined temperatures of all of Japan's coldest winters. Her fingers, still entwined in the fabric of his sleeve, stiffened with apprehension, but did not release their hold.

Kagome swallowed back the lump in her throat and doggedly pressed ahead. "I want you to train me." She entreated. "Please."

What nerve. He was astounded by the sheer cheekiness the woman dared to exude. She, a lowly little human, wanted to be trained by _him? _The notion was so far-fetched, it was almost humorous. Surely the miko would realize the absurdity of her request and eat her words….but when she continued to stare at him openly, her cobalt eyes deadly serious and filled with no regret, he was loathe to admit that even he was taken aback by her mettle.

"No." Short and clipped, the word felt like a punch to her chest.

"Why not?"

"Insolent human," Sesshoumaru snarled. "You would do well to remember that there are much more important matters to take care of than the insignificant task of overseeing your needs."

"Oh really?" Kagome was undeterred. "If it's such an _insignificant task,_ care to explain why you took all that time to come all the way out to my village to fight not with Inuyasha, but with _me_?"

He silently cursed her and her admittedly logical argument. The miko had a point. It was useless wasting more energy than necessary pretending that he was not intrigued by her and her unusual store of power. Perhaps it was time, he mused. He could no longer deny his interest, and now that she had openly brought it up, there was nothing he could do other than acknowledge his intentions and acquiesce.

"Very well."

Kagome fought to keep her jaw from dropping. Did Sesshoumaru just….agree?

"You will begin tomorrow morning at dawn. This one will assign you to a member of the guard. Be even a minute late, miko, and you will have more than one reason to visit the castle healer. "

It wasn't exactly what she had bargained for, but it was a step in the right direction, and she knew better than to ask more of the icy demon lord. "Thank you very much, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome replied in earnest.

A sharp flick of his arm, and the miko released her grip on his sleeve. Equal parts disdain and irritation coursed through his veins, but whether they were directed at the miko or at himself, he did not know. He was beginning to get a little too involved in her life for comfort—coming to her village, taking her back to the palace, and now, with this recent development, offering her the training of his army—he was acquiescing more and more easily to her requests, which was a tormenting thought. Overseeing one human was enough already. He had no need for two.

xXXx-xXXx

Kagome showed up at the barracks well before the first rays of sunlight crested the horizon of the lands. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sank into a crouch, stretching out her weary muscles and joints, anticipation tingling up and down her spine. She did not know who would be overseeing her training, but given the status quo between humans and youkai, she suspected it would be very much an uphill battle to earn her trainer's respect.

Or perhaps not, she thought with a rill of excitement. She had a few tricks up her sleeve that had worked against more demon than one over the years.

The scrape of steel against fabric assailed her hearing and she rose from her stretch, turning to face the demon before her. His high, winged brows were framed by waist-length, pale-golden hair. His eyes were a light grey, bisected by magenta pupils. Angular cheekbones accentuated the sharp line of his jaw, all of which was covered by alabaster skin. His tall frame was covered in deep blue robes, over which was draped impressive ebony armour.

"Good morning," Kagome murmured as she inclined her head.

The demon acknowledged her with the merest flick of an eyelash. "I am Hanzo, third general to the Western Army. My lord has commanded that I hone your abilities."

"Yes….that's the plan, I suppose," Kagome replied, fighting to keep her face neutral.

"Though it puzzles me as to why my lord would waste so many necessary resources on something as trivial as the training of a human," Kagome's jaw stiffened, but with a tremendous effort, she bit back the tide of indignant comments that rose to her tongue. "I must do as he commands." The youkai concluded. With that, Hanzo slid from a sheath at his waist a long, deadly blade that shimmered in the light of the rising sun. "Come."

Kagome was already moving, an arrow grasped tight in her skilled fingers. She nocked it and, with barely a pause, sent it screeching towards the general. Hanzo dodged it easily, and it imbedded itself into the side of a wall with a dull thwack. Gritting her teeth, Kagome nocked another arrow and drew back the bowstring, dimly aware of Hanzo's condescending chuckle.

"Foolish human. To think that your flying toothpicks could be fast enough to injure a demon."

The miko gritted her teeth and fired anyway. Again, the arrow flew towards him, and again, Hanzo slipped out of its way, a pitying smirk gracing the corner of his lips—

He reeled backwards as pain seared a burning path across his face and neck, scorching the air with the scent of cauterized flesh. Hanzo clutched a hand to his sizzling skin as shock more than anything else sent him staggering. Kagome smiled as she lowered her bow. The arrow had been infused with a nasty surprise she had been working on for a while, a tightly coiled ball of concentrated reiki embedded in the shaft that would explode outwards upon coming across the slightest indication of youki within its range. Hanzo, like most other demons she had encountered, possessed enough pride to only slightly avert the trajectory of her attacks, something which had cost him a great deal of pain from the purification properties of her power.

He was looking at her with a new kind of gaze, Kagome noted. Disbelief, anger, and a spark of begrudging respect glittered in his gunsteel eyes. Slowly, Hanzo rose, his skin already knitting together from the healing properties of his breed. This bitch was no weakling. He would have to be much more mindful, now.

Kagome stood before him, waiting patiently as he readied himself. She did not taunt him or express excess revelry in her temporary victory. A silent understanding passed between them; he would take her seriously now that the pain of her purification had taught him a lesson.

Hanzo was upon her instantly. Kagome barely had time to raise her arm before she was knocked to the ground by his inhuman speed, her limbs pinned beneath her, her bow flung across the ground to an unreachable place. Hanzo bent over her and pressed the tip of his sword to her exposed neck as she struggled, her blunt nails scrabbling across the ground. Kagome eventually stilled, then met his gaze evenly, acknowledging defeat. After a moment, the demon took the point of his sword from her throat and stepped over her body.

"I shall admit that you command considerable power," he intoned as she struggled to her feet. "However, you will be no match for the speed of a demon. Your arrows will fare well in long-range battles, but almost all youkai prefer close combat, in which, as we have just discovered, you are sorely incompetent."

Annoyance flashed in her eyes, but any snarky comments Kagome would have spewed forth were cut short by an amused chuckle from the demon before her. "Plucky human," he said almost flippantly. "It will be most interesting to oversee your growth. Come. We will start at the very beginning."

Kagome trotted after his retreating back, feeling equal parts eagerness and irritation. He had defeated her so disappointingly quickly. She felt that all of her training over the past years had gotten her nowhere, and yet there was a new sense of hunger that was growing inside of her, a thirst to finally learn from a teacher experienced in the art of battle. Well, she mused to herself, it was perhaps enough of a monumental step that he, a general in Sesshoumaru's army, would even consider her worthy of being trained, command from his lord or no command from his lord. To have earned the initial respect of such a figure…she would do her best to partake of every last ounce of knowledge he was willing to impart.


End file.
